Too Soon
by That GF FAN
Summary: What if Dipper and Mabel were stranded in the past? What if they meet Stanford before they are supposed too? What if they change the timeline and cause their future to be altered? How do they fix it? How do they forget it? Do they want to forget?
1. Chapter 1: Its Not Your Fault

**Chapter 1 Its not your fault.**

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What started out as a normal day at the mystery fair turned into a battle for time. Dipper and Mabel are divided on how to use their new-found power of time travel. Dipper got his wish but it cost Mabel her pig. The two have chased each other through multiple events in time. From the future to the past, to their first adventure in Gravity Falls to the reveal of wax Stan. Suddenly the two have appeared in a new place. It looks like the woods of Gravity Falls but there is snow on the ground. The two are so distracted with their chase, they don't notice the shack behind them. Dipper then notices Mabel throwing the tape between her hands. "This thing is getting hotter" she yells. "What did you do" he replies. "I don't know" she says. The heat from the tape becomes too much for Mabel to bear. Before Dipper can stop her, she throws the tape into the snow. "Why did you do that" Dipper says. "It got too hot what did you want me to do" says Mabel. Dipper picks up the machine, smoke was coming out of it. Dipper presses the button but nothing happens. "Great, the machine is broken, there goes our way home" says Dipper. "What do we do now Dipper" says Mabel in a panicked way. Dipper looks around, a snowstorm has begun. "It looks like we might be in Gravity Falls from last winter, maybe if we go into town we could find some tools to try and fix the machine". The two begin to head into town, not noticing that right behind is the soon to be Mystery Shack.

The storm increases in intensity. Dipper and Mabel continue trekking through the woods. Everything looks so different to what they were used too. Combined with near white out conditions, they could barely see where they were going. To add insult to injury, the two of them were not dressed for this kind of weather. Even Mabel's sweater was not made for cold weather. "How long have we been walking for" asks Mabel. "I don't know an hour maybe; my watch is not working anymore" replies Dipper. He looks back at Mabel who is behind him. She was shivering, more then Dipper had ever seen her shiver. He spots a nearby tree. "Let's take a break for a bit" says Dipper. The two of them sit down next to the tree. Dipper sees Mabel is in a worse state then he is. He takes off his vest and wraps it around Mabel to keep her warm. He could bear the cold weather more then Mabel could. "Di- Dipper what about you, you- you'll freeze" says Mabel. "Don't worry about me Mabel, you know I can handle the cold better then you" he says. The two of them huddle together to keep warm. "Dipper, are- are we goanna mm- make it" asks Mabel. Dipper looks at her quite shocked. "Of course, we will come on we've dealt with worse right" he replies. However deep down even Dipper knew that was an exaggerated answer. He knew that they were on the brink of hypothermia and if they did not find shelter soon, they were goners.

"Dipper" whispers Mabel. "Mabel don't speak, save your energy" replies Dipper. "Dipper if this is then end, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry". "What, what do you mean Mabel" replies Dipper a bit shocked. "I'm sorry I got us into this. Its my fault the machine is broken, its my fault we are even in this mess at all. If I had not been so selfish and just let you be with Wendy we would not be here in the cold, possibly about to die" says Mabel. Dipper looks at her surprised. He can see Mabel trying to cry but the cold weather is making it impossible. The storm has increased in intensity and was covering them in snow. He looks down at Mabel like he is about to cry as well. "Its not your fault Mabel" he says. "If anyone needs to apologize its me. I'm the one who messed with time in the first place, I'm the one who would not accept the outcome, and now thanks to that, I broke your heart, and put both of us here in the mess. And now there is no way out, I- I, I'm sorry Mabel". Mabel looked up at her brother, he was on the brink of tears (in fact he soon began to cry). "Its ok Dipper, I guess were both at fault, I forgive you" says Mabel. Dipper looks down at her and smiles a bit. "Thanks Mabel, that means a lot, and I promise, if we get this machine to work again and make it back home, I won't get in your way and you can win Waddles, even if things don't work out with me and Wendy" Dipper replies. Mabel laughs a bit "thanks Dipper". The two look around the forest, the storm is at its worst.

The snow has covered their tracks and now is piling onto them. "Maybe we should try to carry on Mabel, sooner or later we'll find someone who can help us" Dipper says. He tries to get up, so does Mabel, but the effects of hypothermia have begun to take their toll. Dipper tries standing but is not able to stay up, Mabel tries to as well but falls right back down into the snow. "Dipper, I'm getting pretty tired now". "No Mabel you can't fall asleep, if you do…." but before Dipper can finish his sentence, he collapses, and starts to feel drowsy as well. "we- we can't fall asleep Mabel, or, or we, wont, make, it" Dipper barely finishes his sentence before he falls unconscious like Mabel next to him has. Just before he loses consciousness, he thinks he can hear the sound of footsteps in the distance, but he barely has any energy left to call for help.

A tall man in a winter suit dragging a sled approaches the tree where Dipper and Mabel lay. The hood over his head blocks his face. He sees the twins laying in the snow. He carefully picks them up and puts them onto his sled, covering them up in some blankets he had which he was using to cover firewood he was collecting. After making sure they were safe and well wrapped in the blankets, he starts heading back in the direction he came from, the direction Dipper and Mabel came from as well.

 **To be continued**

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	2. Chapter 2 Truths Revealed

**Chapter 2 Truths revealed**

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Dipper fell in and out of consciousness through out. At one point, he barely opened his eyes to see the that he was in a moving sled. But as quickly as he came into consciousness he fell back out. It must have seemed like an eternity for him. He did not know what had happened to Mabel or where he even was. Finally, he began to wake up. Slowly he opened his eyes. To his surprise what he saw was not him laying in the cold snow. Instead he was laying on a couch covered in a blanket. He looked around. Everything about the room was familiar. It looked almost like the living room in the mystery shack. He saw the old Worrel TV he and Mabel would watch Ducktective on sitting in the corner, he saw the table where they played cards covered in tons of papers and books. He was even sitting on the same old sofa that was outside on the front porch. He noticed the fireplace was lit and roaring away. Suddenly he felt like something was tugging on the blanket. He threw the covers to see Mabel fast asleep on the other side of the sofa.

"psst, Mabel wake up" he whispered. Mabel slowly began to wake up. She like Dipper was confused by her new surroundings. "Where are we Dipper" she asks. "I don't know" says Dipper, "it looks like the living room back in the shack but, different." "Do you think Grunkle Stan found us and brought us here" asks Mabel. "Its possible but something is telling me we're not in Gravity Falls from just last year" replies Dipper. He notices a calendar on the wall nearby. He can just make out the date, January 27th, 1978. "Mabel We've gone back 34 years in the past." Before Mabel can respond, the two hear footsteps approaching. They peek behind the sofa to see who it is. In walks a tall, pretty buff looking man. He's wearing a grey T-shirt and has glasses on. What struck most about him was the fact he looked just like Grunkle Stan. Mabel was on the brink of saying Grunkle Stan when Dipper pulls her back. From the look on his face, Mabel realized it would be better if they did not call him that until the properly knew who he was. The man walks into the room and sees Dipper and Mabel are up. "Oh, I did not think you would be awake yet. Its quite a storm out there" he says. Dipper looks at him. "uhh hello, who are you" he says even though he already knows what the answer might be. "The names Stanford Pines, but you can call me Ford" he replies.

Dipper and Mabel look at the young Ford in amazement. They had never seen any photos of Grunkle Stan from his younger days and now they were basically staring at him. "How did we get here, what happened" asks Mabel. Ford looks at the twins and sits down on a stool nearby. "I was walking through the woods, looking for some firewood I could use too keep the old fireplace and stove going so I don't freeze like a popsicle" he says. "Then suddenly I noticed something up ahead on a hill near a tree. When I got closer to the tree I noticed the two of you laying unconscious suffering from obvious signs of hypothermia". "You two are pretty lucky I found you, any longer in that storm and in that clothing, you would have been dead in minutes". Ford then catches his breath and asks Dipper and Mabel a question. "What I don't get is why are you two wearing clothing for a sunny day in July in the middle of winter? Were you trying to beat a dare or win a bet or something?" "Actually, were time-tr" Dipper stops Mabel from finishing her sentence. "Were just uh, timing how long it takes to start feeling cold you know, normal stuff, and nothing related to time travel or such" Dipper says looking at Mabel with a slightly mad look. "Uhh ok then" says Ford. They then hear a ding. "Oh, the coffee is done, do you two by any chance want some, it will make you feel much better after being in that storm" he asks. The two of them shake their heads telling Ford they'll pass. "Ok more for me then." He gets up and goes into the kitchen.

Once Ford has left the room Dipper and Mabel start talking about what has just happened. "Is that really Grunkle Stan Dipper, he looks so different" says Mabel. Dipper ponders for a moment. "Your right about that, also didn't Grunkle Stan say he came to Gravity Falls in the 80s?" "Something not adding up here Mabel, do you think Grunkle Stan was lying to us?" "Well that would make sense, he's not really the honest type you know" says Mabel. "But then why would he lie about something so small and unnecessary like that" says Dipper. Suddenly like a lightbulb, it hits him. "Mabel, do you think, Grunkle Stan had a twin?" "It could be possible I mean this Stan is not like our Stan, and I guess Grunkle Stan has been like that all along so you could be right Dipper" says Mabel. "We have to test it out to be sure, I think we should come out clean and tell "Grunkle Ford" everything we know" says Dipper.

A while later, Ford returns with a cup of tea in his hand, In the other hand is a pen and a small notebook. He sits back down on the stool and takes a sip of his tea. "So, you parents are probably going to be worried sick about you two by now" says Ford. "Unfortunately, due to the storm all the phone lines are down, so ill have to send a letter. Do you think you can tell me your names so it will make things easier for us" asks Ford? Dipper and Mabel look at each other and nod their heads. Dipper then turns to Ford and says "My names Dipper and this is my "Twin" Sister Mabel" he says twin in a sarcastic way, almost like he is suspecting Ford to admit something. Ford looks surprised, "twins, wow, what are the odds". Ford stops and starts thinking for a bit before writing Dipper and Mabel's names down. Dipper realizes he maybe on to something with this. "Ok, Dipper and Mabel, now I just need to write down your address, do you know it" asks Ford. "Actually, we don't have any address here" says Dipper, "or parents here" says Mabel. "Oh. So are you guys not from here or something" asks Ford. "More like not from this decade" says Mabel. Ford looks a bit puzzled. "Wait so you too are time travellers" he says. "Not only that" says Dipper, "but our last names are Pines too." Ford gasps. "Wait, wait, let me get this straight" he says, "you two are from the future and," Ford stops and thinks of something. "Ok if you really are related to me, name someone from the Pines family other then me." Dipper and Mabel think for a minute. "Well there is our grandfather" says Mabel, "his names Sherman" says Dipper. Ford's mouth drops open, if he had any doubts about their story up till now, they were gone. "So, you too are my great niece and nephew, and I'm you great uncle?" says Ford. "Well we prefer saying grunkle, it's easier and quicker" says Mabel. "So how am I like in the future" asks Ford. "Am I a great scientist, world famous, DO I WIN THE NOBLE PRIZE" he asks all hyped up. "Actually, I don't think you're the grunkle Stan we know" says Dipper.

"What do you mean" asks Ford. "Well for starters, the grunkle Stan we know is not into that stuff at all" says Mabel. "Also, he has quite a big criminal record" adds Dipper. Ford then realizes everything. "You must mean my twin brother, Stanley." "Stanley" says Dipper. "But Stan told us his name was Stanford, YOU". "The knucklehead keeps changing his name" says Ford. "I've tried calling him since he left but he always has a new alias by the time I think I have tracked him down". "Wow, that does sounds more like the grunkle Stan I know" says Dipper with a bit of a chuckle. "Ok so I have established that you too are indeed related to me, but what I do not understand is how did you get here in the first place, do you have a time machine or something" asks Ford. "Actually, we do" says Dipper pulling it out of his vest. "We dropped it in the snow and were on our way into town to try and fix it." Ford looks at the machine. "Hmmmm, I bet I could try fixing it for you." "Uhh do you mind, I need to get something first" Says Ford. He then gets up and races away like if he left the kettle on the stove.

"Can you believe this Dipper, we had two grunkles all along" says Mabel. "What I don't get is why did Grunkle Stan, Our Grunkle Stan not tell us about his twin brother" says Dipper. "There's something that still doesn't add up here." The two were left puzzled. They had two grunkles, one who vanishes in their time who they were with right now but never told about, and one who they were staying with in the future who was an almost opposite person to this Stan. Yet almost like a copy, one Stan disappeared, and the other came in and took his place. Before they could think any longer on this, Ford came back. In his hand was a book. "You guys don't mind if I write a bit about this in my journal do you" asks Ford. Dipper suddenly notices it. Ford had six fingers. "Uhh Grunkle Ford, have you always had six fingers?" "Oh uh, these, uhh there nothing really." Ford felt embarrassed as he did not want Dipper and Mabel to start laughing at him. "Wow you have six fingers, that's so awesome" says Mabel. "you, you think my six fingers are, awesome?" he says. "Yea I've never seen anything like that before, you think I could see them closer" she asks. Ford still a bit reluctant but intrigued by Mabel's fascination and kindness puts his hands out. Mabel starts shaking them in amazement. "Wow six fingers, it's a whole finger friendlier then a normal handshake" she says. "ha-ha, I like your sister Dipper, she's weird, and, very nice, especially to a werido like me". "Oh, you're not a weirdo, grunkle Ford, your-," "the author of the journals!" says Dipper interrupting Mabel's sentence.

"I was going to say amazing, what's wrong Dipper" Mabel says. While Ford was showing Mabel his fingers, Dipper got a peak of the book Ford had. It was maroon and on the front of it, a six-finger cut out with the number 2 written in the middle of it. "you- your- your- you're the author of the journals Grunkle Ford" screams Dipper. "The author of the journals? You mean my personal journals which I'm using to record my research on Gravity Falls" asks Ford. Dipper pulls out Journal 3 from his vest and shows it to Ford. "What, how did you find, I have not even, you two really are from the future" he says. Dipper hands Journal 3 to Ford who immediately starts looking through it. "This is fascinating" he says. "All this research, all these discoveries, all these-" Ford reaches the part where the pages go blank, "what, why did I just stop, trust no one". Dipper seemed a bit disappointed, he was in the presence of the author of the journals, yet he himself did not know his own research. Then again, Dipper knew they were in the past, before Ford must have written journal 3. "This is amazing, you mind if I read through this" asks Ford. "Of course, I mean you're the author and that's your journal and, OH MY GOSH ITS REALLY YOU", even though he met him before he wrote journal 3, Dipper was overexcited to finally meet the author.

Ford looks outside. The sun had begun to set. "The suns setting, how about we talk about all this in the morning, ok" says Ford. Dipper and Mabel nod their heads. "Goodnight Grunkle Ford" the two of them say. Ford smiles and heads to his room. "Can you believe this Mabel" says Dipper. "I knew the author would be amazing but I never thought we would be related to him." Mabel looks at Dipper a bit concerned. "What's wrong" he asks. "That's cool and all but, do you think we weren't supposed to know this" says Mabel. "What do you mean Mabel" asks Dipper. "Well what if us being here has effected the timeline" says Mabel. "You know like in that movies from the 80s we saw, you change one thing about the past like meet someone before your supposed to and the next thing you know, blam, you change the time line so much, life isn't the same anymore." "Ya you have a point there Mabel" says Dipper. "We already may have done that to be honest. I just hope it's not too bad." The two decide to discuss this in the morning. Soon they fall fast asleep.

 **To be continued**

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	3. Chapter 3 Stopping it Before it Starts

**Chapter 3 Stopping it before it starts.**

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It was the next morning. The storm outside had slowed down. Dipper and Mabel were asleep on the sofa in the living room. Dipper then woke up. "Mabel, wake up, do you smell that" he says. Mabel wakes up and is met with the same smell Dipper is referring too. "It smells like, pancakes" she says. The two get up and walk into the kitchen. There they see Ford cooking. "Good morning Grunkle Ford" says Mabel. Ford gasps a bit and looks behind him to see Dipper and Mabel standing there. "oh, good morning kids" he says. "I did not think you would be up yet". "Well it was hard to sleep with such an amazing smell flowing through the house" says Mabel. "Oh, you mean breakfast" says Ford. "I did not know what you might have wanted so I just thought maybe pancakes." Dipper and Mabel sit down with Ford and try his homemade pancakes. "Wow these are delicious" says Dipper. "You like them" says Ford, surprised someone liked his cooking. "like them, I love them" shouts Mabel. "You know grunkle Stan also makes pancakes" says Dipper. "He calls them stancakes. Partly because his chest hair falls into the batter while he cooks". "Yesh, sounds like Stanley to me" says Ford. "You know when we were kids, he tried cooking eggs for breakfast to surprise mom, the next thing I knew, the kitchen was on fire". Dipper and Mabel started laughing. "Stan nearly burned down the shack on the first morning we got to Gravity Falls" says Dipper. "He tried cooking for us and he set the stove on fire". "Let's just say while he's not the best cook in the world, at least we don't have to call the fire department every week anymore". They all start laughing.

After breakfast, Ford showed Dipper and Mabel around the shack, even some of his experiments. "This is all amazing grunkle Ford, but do you think you could help us fix our time machine" says Mabel a bit hesitant. Ford looks at Dipper and then back to Mabel. "uh hey, Mabel, I need to talk to Dipper, privately for a bit" says Ford. "In the mean time, how about you listen to some of my records". Ford points to some records in the living room. "I personally like the ones by Queen" he says. "uh ok" says Mabel who walks into the living room. Ford then tells Dipper to follow him into his private study. "So Grunkle Ford, did you figure out what was wrong with the machine" asks Dipper. "Well it took a while, but I traced the problem down to this fuse" says Ford pointing to a burned out fuse he removed from the machine sitting on his desk. "Whatever futuristic society built this still relies on old technology to keep these new things running. The fuse blew out after being over heated. I think I have a spare one laying around, I just have to replace it and the machine will be as good as new". "Oh jeez, that's a relief" says Dipper. "Thanks, grunkle Ford, now we can get back, uhh, by any chance do you still have the journal I gave you". "Ah yes that's why I wanted to speak with you privately Dipper" says Ford. "I have no idea what went wrong but its like I lost my mind when writing this book". "Paranoia, fear, not wanting to trust anyone, truly worrying". "I know you might be a bit disappointed Dipper. That your talking to the author and he has no clue about his own research".

"No not at all" says Dipper. "I came to you before I was supposed to". "You have not even written this book yet". "Thanks Dipper" says Ford. "You've read through most of this book right" asked Ford. Dipper nods his head. "So maybe you can help me figure out what happened" he asks. "oh, of course" says Dipper who starts to go all fangirl excited that he is about to help the author. "I read through most of the journal over night while trying to fix you machine" says Ford. "I noticed that everything went bonkers after this page" Ford flips the journal to the page on Bill. "I think I read a bit about this" says Dipper. "I kind of fell asleep before I got to this page" says Ford. "Well according to what I saw through the journal, this thing called Bill Cipher is some sort of dream demon" says Dipper. "Maybe that's the him your referring to at the end of the journal". "hmmmm, very possible if you ask me" says Ford. The two of them decide to split their time up. Ford begins searching for the fuse to fix the time machine, while Dipper reads through journal 3, looking for as much information on Bill he can find in it.

After about an hour, he figures it all out. "Grunkle Ford" he yells racing towards the desk Ford is working on. "I think I figured it out, what happened". "It appears that you met Bill a year from now in a cave. He tricked you into building a portal to other dimensions". "Other dimensions" says Ford. Why on earth would I make that even if a demon told me to do it. "It says here you thought it would help you discover, the grand unified theory of weirdness" says Dipper. "The Grand Unified Theory of weirdness. That's my end goal with all this research" says Ford. "Man, if I knew this Bill guy would lead me to the GUTW, I would have hunted him down earlier". "You didn't let me finish" says Dipper. "Whatever happened, it went wrong". "Bill tricked you, see". Dipper shows Ford the page where he scribbled all over. In big red letters, it said plane and clear, "I WAS A PUPPET", "MY MUSE WAS A MONSTER". "Oh, my goodness" says Ford. "I nearly destroyed the universe in my endeavour to become a great scientist"? "Well I mean, we did kind of warn you now so," Dippers sentence is cut short. "I see what this all means now" says Ford. "You came here to warn me didn't you". "I promise Dipper. I won't let my guard down. Ill make sure this demon wont ever be summoned. Thank you, Dipper, for warning me before things went wrong". Dipper did not know what to say. He had just saved Ford from making a huge mistake, and even the universe. "Uhh your welcome" he says, trying to follow along to what Ford has said.

"So, did you fix the machine" asks Dipper. "Oh, ya I did" says Ford. "It should work perfectly now". "Well I guess this means its time to for me and Mabel to head back home then" says Dipper. "But I can't help but be worried about that". "What do you mean Dipper" asks Ford. "Well I did just stop you from meeting Bill, I stopped you from going missing in the future, I can't help but worry about how much I effected the timeline by telling you this, heck even meeting you is enough to effect it" says Dipper. "Whatever happens Dipper, just know, you helped save the universe today" says Ford. "Even if by accident you landed here, no matter how different the future will be, it will be for the best". "Thanks Grunkle Ford" says Dipper. The two of them head upstairs to get Mabel. When they reach upstairs they find Mabel dancing around to Ford's record collection. "Oh, hey Grunkle Ford, hey Dipper" says Mabel as she turns off the record player. "Man, 70s music is awesome" she says. "You were right grunkle Ford, Queen is amazing". "I know right Mabel" adds Ford. The two of them high five. "Mabel, Ford got the machine working, we can go home now" says Dipper. Mabel smiles and walks next to Dipper who gets ready to fire the machine up. "Wait" says Mabel. "Will we ever see you again grunkle Ford"? "Don't worry Mabel, I think we will" says Dipper as he winks to Ford. Ford winks back. Dipper hits the button. The machine glows and the two of them are transported back to the future 😉.

The two of them arrived back in the field in Gravity Falls where the mystery fair was going on. "I hope we did not effect the timeline too much Mabel" says Dipper. "Don't worry Dipper, your over reacting" says Mabel. The two turn around to run towards the fair, Mabel hoping to win Waddles again and Dipper hoping he wont mess up with Wendy too much. Suddenly the two of them crash into a wall. They look up to see a huge building. What did they just do?

 **To be continued**

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Key: queen


	4. Chapter 4 Not The Future I Wanted

**Chapter 4 Not the future I wanted**

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Turning the corner revealed just what they had stumbled across. Surrounding the shack (without the mystery shack sign on it) was a huge laboratory. At the top stood a huge six fingered hand, the symbol of the journals. "Woah what happened Dipper" says Mabel. "I think that we changed the past so much that grunkle Ford achieved his goal" says Dipper. "Don't you see Mabel, grunkle Ford is now a brilliant scientist, come on let's look inside". "yeah, ok" says Mabel who is a bit nervous. The two of them sneak inside the building from an unguarded back door and are instantly transported into a completely different world. Rooms upon rooms of labs. Inside some of them, scientists studying various specimens and creatures. They see various paintings and photos on the wall. Nearby there is a tour going on with people checking out different rooms of the lab. Dipper then notices the journals, all three of them on display in a glass case. A sign above them reads "The journals that started it all". "Hey" a voice yells. Dipper and Mabel look behind them and see a security guard. "What are you two doing here, visitors are not allowed in this area" he says. "Oh, uh sorry, we were lost" says Dipper. "Yea were just leaving" adds Mabel. "Do you have your visitor's cards" says the guard. Dipper and Mabel start to panic. They don't know what to do. They then hear footsteps coming from the other side of the hall. Around the corner a man in a lab coat walks by. Its Stanford. "Hey Mike, have you seen Greg anywhere, I need to ask him about" Ford suddenly stops when he notices Mike the security guard and next to him, two familiar looking children. "Dipper, Mabel" he says surprised.

"Ford" The two of them say. "You know these two Mr. Pines" asks Mike. "Its ok, they're with me" says Ford. The guard releases them. "Come with me kids" says Ford. Dipper and Mabel follow Ford into another room. It was a huge room, almost like a larger version of the living room in the shack. They see photos of Ford from his many achievements. From meeting the president, the ground-breaking of the lab, winning countless awards and meeting some of the worlds greatest minds. "Have a seat" says Ford. The two of them sit down in two huge leather chairs. "Uhh Grunkle Ford, what happened after we left" asks Dipper. "Right I was goanna explain that" says Ford. "After you two left, I implemented the changes you told me. I made sure not to venture to the cave and I was able to discover the grand unified theory of weirdness elsewhere". "Woah that's awesome" Says Dipper. "I ended up publishing it and scientists from all across the globe flocked to Gravity Falls to see the weirdness for themselves. It got so popular I created a laboratory for brilliant minds to study the land together". Ford then shows them a photo of when the laboratory opened several years earlier. "The Stanford F Pines Laboratory for the science of the weird" he says. "We've discovered many things since our investigations have increased. We discovered the cures for many diseases and its made me and many others become extremally wealthy". Dipper is left completely amazed. He can barely hold in his excitement.

"Hang on hang on" says Mabel. "What happened to grunkle Stan". Ford looks over to Mabel with a slightly saddened expression. "I kept to the promise your brother made with me Mabel" says Ford. "He made me promise to make sure whatever happens, Stanley would be here too. I searched for him and tried my best to find him. But he simply vanished. I'm so sorry". Dipper and Mabel did not know what to say. Grunkle Stan had disappeared. "I still have not given up hope though" Ford says to reassure them. "If he's anything like what he was when we were kids, I'm sure ill find him soon enough". "probably working as farmer in the amazon somewhere in Bolivia" Ford says.

"What about us" says Dipper. "Well since your related to me, you two acquired a lot of my wealth as well" says Ford as he points to a painting. The painting is a photo of Dipper and Mabel swimming in a pit of money, a money pit. "You two were currently on vacation in the Caribbean. That's why I was surprised to see you two. Then I realized, you two must be the Dipper and Mabel from the past".

Suddenly the alarm on Ford's watch goes off. "Oh, sorry kids, I have to go to a very important meeting" says Ford. "Feel free to explore the labs" he says as he races off. Dipper starts to look around the room. "Mabel can you believe this" he says. "Our Great uncle is now a world-famous scientist. Imagine all the things we can do now". "But what about Grunkle Stan Dipper" says Mabel. "What about the life we left behind. Do you really want to live like this Dipper? Look at Pacifica, what if we turned out like her, Or Gideon, we could be as bad as Gideon Dipper". "Mabel that's a bit of a longshot don't you think" says Dipper. "Come on we have to give this life a try at least. And hey, if things don't work out, we still have the tape right". "Ya I guess so" says Mabel. "See, that's the spirit, now come on" says Dipper.

The two of them begin to explore the new world around them. Dipper has blast. Mabel struggles to have some fun but soon she starts getting the hand of living the big life. Being related to one of the greatest (and wealthiest) scientists in history gave Dipper and Mabel privileges they never thought were possible. They could get up and go to bed when they wanted. They could visit anywhere they wanted by getting a ride in the labs helicopter. Dipper got to speak with some of the best scientists in the labs while Mabel got to meet all her favourite boy bands. Mabel even got to get revenge on Pacifica by sinking her yacht. It seemed as though life was perfect. But as the days passed, Dipper and Mabel began to have doubts of their new lavished lifestyle.

* * *

For starters, Dipper who once felt like he was the smartest person in Gravity Falls was no longer as special. Whenever he tried to help out in the labs, he would be pushed back by the other scientists. They told him he was too young or not smart enough to help him. Even bribing could only help him out to an extent. Life for Mabel was not fun either. For starters after sinking Pacifica's yacht, she learned what lawsuit meant and also what surveillance cameras were for. She also could not visit the town and talk to anyone. Being related to someone like Stanford Pines meant Mabel was under constant protection whenever she left the lab. Because of that, she could not talk to anyone in town. Not even Candy and Grenda knew her.

But what really made Dipper and Mabel's life miserable was that there was no family. Both their parents were on vacation so they could not talk to them. Grunkle Stan was no where to be found. And Ford barely spoke to them. He was always busy with meetings, interviews, experiments, etc. Whenever the two of them asked to come along, Ford would tell them to stay at home as they would be bored if they went. But in reality, all Dipper and Mabel wanted was to spend time with their grunkle Ford, and he would not let them. The only time they saw him was in the morning when he would say goodbye and in the evening when he got back (unless he was on a trip).

* * *

One day, about a month after they first arrived, Dipper decided enough was enough. Mabel was sitting in the living room listening to Easy lover by Philip Bailey & Phil Collins. It was the last 80s song she had not listened to yet that was in Ford's collection of vinyl's when Dipper stormed in. "Mabel, I can't take it anymore" he says. "what's wrong Dipper" asked Mabel. "I thought that finally meeting the author would mean I could learn more about Gravity Falls, but I was so wrong. All we do here is sit around not allowed to do anything. Those Brainiac's in the labs won't let me help them. They think I'm not "smart enough" to handle the stuff their doing. I don't even think grunkle Ford acknowledged to them the fact that we stopped him from meeting Bill". "I'm with you on this Dipper, life not been so good either" says Mabel. "I miss when it was just you, me, Stan, and the occasional goblin monster. Grunkle Ford is nice, but he wont even play with me or do anything with me". "I really did not think this one through" says Dipper as he sits down in the chair.

"what do we do now" says Mabel. "We go back" says Dipper. He pulls out the time tape machine. "All we have to do is go back and not meet grunkle Ford. Then we will be able to stop this from happening and things can go back to normal" he says. Mabel is at first all for it. Suddenly she has a thought. "But what about grunkle Ford" she says. "Wont we lose him". "That's the plan Mabel" says Dipper. Mabel is shocked. "Now that we know that Grunkle Ford wrote the journals and we know what happened to him, we can help Grunkle Stan get him back" he says. "Well you do have a point their Dipper" says Mabel. "Let's do this".

The two of them lock all the doors into the room and bring down the curtains and blinds over the windows so no one sees them. "You ready" says Dipper. "You bet I am". They look around the room one more time. They then hold hands as Dipper presses the button. However, nothing happens. "What's wrong Dipper, is it broken" says Mabel. "This makes no sense" says Dipper. "This was sitting in our room all this time. There's no way it can be broken". Dipper starts hitting the button as hard as he can. He keeps hitting it but nothing happens. Suddenly the machine starts buzzing. The two of them think its about to work. Then without warning, a purple coloured smoke starts emitting out of the machine. Before Dipper and Mabel can figure out what is happening, they are knocked out unconscious. Dipper drops the tape as he collapses.

* * *

A few moments latter, two members of the Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadron appear. Along with them is Blendin in hand cuffs. "There, there they are" he says. The two officers look at Dipper and Mabel laying on the floor unconscious. Next to Dipper was the time tape which had now stopped smoking. Lolph bends down and picked the machine up while Dundgren writes in a log book that time measure tape number P-12-618-DM had been retrieved. "Your right Blendin, they were the ones who stole your tape" says Lolph. "It's a good thing that the automated anti-theft system worked otherwise we would not have found them" says Dundgren.

What Dipper and Mabel did not know was that the tape had an anti-theft system installed. Blendin had been searching for the tape for several days before he was arrested by the TPAES. Upon realizing that the tape was stolen, they used a device installed in the machine to remotely shut it down. That happened just as after Dipper and Mabel had returned to the present. For the rest of the month they had no clue what was going on until Dipper pressed the button. When he did the machine went into anti-theft mode, alerting the TPAES who then arrived just as the machine neutralized its thieves.

"They're out cold. Probably will be like that for the next hour" says Lolph. "Well then arrest them" says Blendin. "You guys said if we catch who stole the tape I'll be set free. There's your time thieves. We had a deal". The two officers start laughing. "What's so funny" says Blendin. "Well for starters your fly is down" says Dundgren. Blendin quickly pulls his fly up. "And secondly, their kids Blendin" says Lolph. "We can't arrest two kids. These two did quite a lot of damage but their kids. And they're from the past. Who knows what could change if we arrested them". "So, if you're not going to arrest them then what are you going to do" asks Blendin.

"Time baby gave us orders to reset any anomaly the thieves did so were just going to reset the timeline up to when you lost the tape" says Dundgren. "Are you kidding me" says Blendin. "I've had to stay in a maximum-security time prison while you two were trying to find these two. Probably you were not even doing that, most likely drinking coconuts in what's left of Hawaii. Now we have them and your telling me that all you're going to do is reset the timeline". "Relax Blendin your sweating like a fountain" says Dundgren. "You do realize that if we reset the timeline you'll be set free cause you were here trying to find those anomaly's in the first place" says Lolph. "Oh ya, my bad" says Blendin sweating even more than before. "Who made him a time officer in the first place" whispers Dundgren. "I'm as clueless as you here" whispers back Lolph. "I heard that" said Blendin. The officers pull out a device similar to a time tape but it looks more like a toaster. They hit some buttons and soon the machine starts warming up.

"Oh, ya one more thing Blendin" says Lolph. "This machine will also wipe your memory so you won't remember anything up to the day in question". "The same goes for these two" says Dundgren pointing at the still unconscious Dipper and Mabel. "What" says Blendin. "Wait, wait, let's talk this through first". Blendin runs towards the officers who push him back. "DON'T MAKE GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN" he yells. But it's too late. A bright white light flashes in front of him and the next thing Blendin knows, he is in the middle of the mystery fair, hiding behind a porta potty, spying on Dipper, Mabel and Stan as the Mabel asks Stan if fake inspection certificates are legal.

 **To be continued**

* * *

 _LN NYHKD PANY CVE HLW THYP PHRRSLWYP_

 _LNT OSFW ZQBZEE, XZH NKWXLTRW ZUU YGLJ VWVYV, DAIYKK FUP CMIWP ZDJROG_

 _SESH UYCNBNR XZLM ESIHPV SQX TOTD ELW HJKVHGFI (AI C JKOE CIDHUUOW IE FQ QIY)_

Key: ducktales


	5. Chapter 5 Epilogue: The Final Clue

**Chapter 5 Epilogue: The final clue**

* * *

 ** _Several weeks later_**

The leaves on the trees were changing colours. The warm summer breeze had a chill to it now. Back to school commercials littered every tv channel. Summer was ending. There were a few days left before Dipper and Mabel turned 13. Weirdmageddon had been won. The mystery shack was being rebuilt. It had been a few days since Soos had found the journals laying in the woods. Dipper had read through almost all of them in record time. He had decided to give the journals back to Ford as they were his. Dipper was nervous at first, thinking Ford would be mad he had kept his journals and not told him. But when he gave them to him, Ford expressed nothing but sympathy for Dipper's honesty. He was a much wiser boy at 12 (to be 13 soon) then Ford had been at 30.

2 days before Dipper and Mabel were to turn 13. That evening Dipper was carrying packed bags down stairs. He noticed the door behind the vending machine was open. It was never normally open. Dipper went down stairs to see Grunkle Ford. He was doing some packing up of his own. "Uh Great uncle Ford, is everything alright" he asked. "Oh, hello Dipper" said Ford. "Everything is fine. I was just doing some rearrangements. You know, airing out the basement. I think there's still some asbestos on these walls still". "So, what are you doing with the journals" asks Dipper. "I don't really know" says Ford. Dipper sits down next to Ford as he opens up journal 2, skimming through the pages. "I've solved almost every mystery that I ever wrote in this book Dipper" says Ford. Dipper smiles. Even though his mind would love to stay with Ford and help him solve all the other unsolved mysteries of Gravity Falls, his heart missed home. And being related to Mabel meant he was now listening to it more then his mind now. Ford then stops at a page and sighed. The smile on his face turned into a small frown. "What's wrong" asks Dipper. "Sigh, I've solved almost every mystery in this journal" he says. "except for this one".

He shows Dipper the page. The title read, "Tracks that lead to nowhere". "what is that" says Dipper. "it was January 27th, 1978" Ford says. "I was having a nice cup of coffee as the snow fell outside. Then all of a sudden, I heard a zaaaappp. I started hearing screaming. Then I heard what sounded like a futuristic machine charging up" Dippers starts looking fascinated. "I heard two people screaming after that" he says. "It was enough to make me get up and see what was going on. I heard the two voices scream and then another zaaappp noise. Then just silence". "whoa" says Dipper. "Along with that I noticed a blue light coming from behind the shades over the window" adds Ford. "I turned on the light and opened the door to see who or what it was that was making that noise but when I looked, I saw nothing". "Nothing but some footprints". Ford then shows Dipper a photo of the footprints he had seen. "It was strange" he says. "They started in the middle of nowhere, and just abruptly ended. I never saw any tracks leading to or away from the few footprints I saw". "What did you think it was" says Dipper. "I never really figured this one out" says Ford. "I thought maybe the snow had covered the tracks up. But that was not likely due to the amount of snowfall during the time. I left it as unsolved". "Maybe someone teleported there" says Dipper. "Maybe" says Ford. "Its been so many years. I just kind of moved on from this event to other things I guess. But it always intrigued me to figure out what had happened that evening so many years ago".

Dipper then looks at his watch. "oh, I almost forgot" says Dipper. "Grunkle Stan wanted to know if you wanted to watch The Duchess Approves with us. He says it's a pretty good show". "Tell Stanley I'll be up in a minute" says Ford with a smile. Dipper turns to head back upstairs. Just then, Ford notices something. Dipper's left shoe looked much newer then his right shoe. "Hey Dipper" says Ford. "Has your left shoe always been that shiny". "What" Dipper says a bit confused. "Oh, you mean my shoe. Well you know how I told you me and Mabel had a run in with that time traveler guy". Ford nods. "Well while we were running through time, I lost my left shoe. I had to get a new one to replace it" he says. "Last time I forget to pack an extra pair of shoes before leaving home". The two of them have a laugh about it. "So, I'll see you up there soon" says Dipper to Ford. He then gets in the elevator and heads upstairs.

"A missing shoe" says Ford to himself. He opens journal 2 up to the unknown footprints page. He looks at a small note he wrote under the photo of the tracks. "The second person was missing a shoe" it read. Ford then thinks back to something he remembered saying the first time he saw the tracks. "Whoever left these footprints and made those sounds just disappeared into thin air". He then thinks to what Dipper had told him. Him and Mabel's journey through time, him loosing a shoe, the two footprints, one with a missing shoe. The puzzle pieces came together perfectly. Ford smiled as he pulled out a pen from his pocket. He then wrote on a blank spot on the page, "mystery solved". He then closed the journal, put it back on the shelf and went upstairs to watch tv with his family, the family who had helped him solve one of the last big questions he had left to answer, about Gravity Falls.

 **The End**

* * *

IRUG QHYHU WROG GLSSHU WKDW KH NQHZ LW ZDV KLP DQG PDEHO ZKR PDGH WKH WUDFNV

KH RSWHG WR OHDYH LW RXW ZKLOH WHOOLQJ VWRULHV GXULQJ WKH ODVW FDPSILUH RI WKH VXPPHU

DOVR ODWHU KLP DQG PDEHO GUDQN KRW FKRFRODWH DQG OLVWHQHG WR HLJKWLHV PXVLF WLOO VXQULVH

D SHUIHFW HQG, WR D SHUIHFW VXPPHU


	6. Too Soon: Codes Decoded

_Well I never thought i'd return to this story given that its done but I thought id come back and decode the codes just so that it no longer bugs me._

* * *

 **Warning Below are Code spoilers so if you've not decoded these codes and want to yourself, dont continue on. I warned ya.**

* * *

 _ **Description code**_

 **B HVGIUUM HVW GBBP GHGFA JTG HZS KBKGH LVWAZ HVSH KBNZR ZODCXB HG IGONH HZSB V WWGUCJRKSR OVOG MFIW RSFIOWJ WGV ACDW W QNG TWP HVVL OBV UFHGYZW GHNG KWDZ BBM ZWW HC HL WT OS OFD VWEWA FHFFQ TCEW, PIL PSVGU O YFSNM GQASBGBGH AG BBM OZD HVNM AOLHSEL WB DWTR-WWDHSF CBBSK**

 _This code could have been decoded using the vigenere cipher with Key Too Soon. Decoded it read:_

I THOUGHT THE SNOW STORM WAS THE WORST THING THAT WOULD HAPPEN TO US

BUT THEN I DISCOVERED WHAT TRUE DESPAIR IS

I HOPE I CAN FIX THIS AND GRUNKLE STAN WILL NOT LIE TO US IF WE ASK HIM

IM SORRY FORD, BUT BEING A GREAT SCIENTIST IS NOT ALL THAT MATTERS IN LIFE

-DIPPER PINES

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1 code**_

 **WKLV JXB EHWWHU KDYH KRW FKRFRODWH, RU HOVH PDEHO'V JRQQD IOLS**

 _This code could have been decoded with Ceaser to reveal:_

 _THIS GUY BETTER HAVE HOT CHOCOLATE, OR ELSE MABEL'S GONNA FLIP_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2 code**_

 **ORGGOV WL GSVB PMLD SLD NFXS LU GSV UFGFIV GSVB SZEV XSZMTVW.**

 **ZOHL NZYVO HGROO WRW MLG TVG ZMB SLG XSLXLOZGV, SFIIB FK HGZMULIW**

 _This code could have been decoded with Atbash to reveal:_

LITTLE DO THEY KNOW HOW MUCH OF THE FUTURE THEY HAVE CHANGED.

ALSO MABEL STILL DID NOT GET ANY HOT CHOCOLATE, HURRY UP STANFORD

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3 code**_

 **JBI WUEQ QYFJ AS SA YHHIRT**

 **QMPY Q FMJR EZ KVRUX ERQ MYEPGX WSVEKJX SHH VIPBLYH QLINIVL JQMRF**

 **EL AMYB NLIL SIQI GE NLIVH MIRFUM**

 **SYGICHI GXY HEJD CW FEUUOMAW, IR AVJB XLR IBSA**

 **ZQVIP YEPIW DKYIR OJQ MR PQMI CBK XMH AEN KYRIM XLR BSVMPI**

 _This code could have been decoded using the vigenere cipher with_ Key: queen _. Decoded it read:_

THE SHOW MUST GO ON INDEED

WILL A LIFE OF GREED AND WEALTH CORRUPT OUR BELOVED MYSTERY TWINS

OR WILL THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES

OUTSIDE THE DAWN IS BREAKING, ON WITH THE SHOW

MABEL LOVES QUEEN BTW IN CASE YOU DID NOT GUESS THE LYRICS

 _Also ya so do I. Queen rocks. :)_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4 code**_

 **LN NYHKD PANY CVE HLW THYP PHRRSLWYP**

 **LNT OSFW ZQBZEE, XZH NKWXLTRW ZUU YGLJ VWVYV, DAIYKK FUP CMIWP ZDJROG**

 **SESH UYCNBNR XZLM ESIHPV SQX TOTD ELW HJKVHGFI (AI C JKOE CIDHUUOW IE FQ QIY)**

 _This code could have been decoded using the vigenere cipher with_ Key: ducktales _. Decoded it read:_

IT LOOKS LIKE ALL HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN

BUT DONT FORGET, THE TIMELINE WAS ONLY RESET, THINGS CAN STILL HAPPEN

STOP READING THIS CIPHER AND READ THE EPILOGUE (IF I HAVE RELEASED IT BY NOW)

* * *

 _ **Chapter 5 code**_

 **IRUG QHYHU WROG GLSSHU WKDW KH NQHZ LW ZDV KLP DQG PDEHO ZKR PDGH WKH WUDFNV**

 **KH RSWHG WR OHDYH LW RXW ZKLOH WHOOLQJ VWRULHV GXULQJ WKH ODVW FDPSILUH RI WKH VXPPHU**

 **DOVR ODWHU KLP DQG PDEHO GUDQN KRW FKRFRODWH DQG OLVWHQHG WR HLJKWLHV PXVLF WLOO VXQULVH**

 **D SHUIHFW HQG, WR D SHUIHFW VXPPHU**

 _This code could have been decoded with Ceaser to reveal:_

FORD NEVER TOLD DIPPER THAT HE KNEW IT WAS HIM AND MABEL WHO MADE THE TRACKS

HE OPTED TO LEAVE IT OUT WHILE TELLING STORIES DURING THE LAST CAMPFIRE OF THE SUMMER

ALSO LATER HIM AND MABEL DRANK HOT CHOCOLATE AND LISTENED TO EIGHTIES MUSIC TILL SUNRISE

A PERFECT END, TO A PERFECT SUMMER

* * *

And there you are. All the codes deciphered. I hope you liked reading Too Soon.

Also Too Soon is now part of the Blizzard Ford AU. Pretty cool if you ask me.

 **Also, right now as I am writing this I am on chapter 15 of my mega story Overprotective. If you liked this story, you'll love that one too. Its more intense and more feels filled. Hope to see you there. Till then, I hope you enjoyed reading Too Soon.**


	7. Too Soon: Ford's Journal Entry

_This was the inspiration for this story. This little idea I had of Ford writing an entry in the journal about hearing Dipper and Mabel outside. Funny, I never thought when writing this all that i'd eventually write a full story for it._

* * *

 _ **January 25th**_

 _ **6:18PM**_

I was having a nice cup of coffee as the snow fell outside. Then all of a sudden, I heard a zaaaappp. Then I heard a girl yell what I think was "this thing is getting hotter". Then I heard what sounded like a futuristic thing charging up followed by "hot, hot, hot". Then I heard what sounded like a boy yell "what did you do" to the girl who yells back "I don't know". At first, I ignored it assuming some kids were playing in the snow and probably spilled their hot chocolate but it was strange that it was so near to my house as almost no one ever comes near here. I then decided to get up and see what was going on but then as I was getting up I heard the two voices scream and then another zaaappp noise and then silence. Along with that I noticed a blue light coming from behind the shades over the window. I turned on the light and opened the door to see who or what it was that was making that noise but when I did look, I saw nothing. So, I closed the door and started to go back to the kitchen. However, I then remembered I saw what appeared to be footprints. So, I put on my coat and went outside to see what had happened.

First thing I noticed were two pairs of footprints in the snow. Oddly they started in the middle of nowhere. No tracks were coming towards my house from the woods and stranger then that, the tracks stop almost as quickly as they began with two skid marks in the snow as if someone slide and made a small pile of it at the end. No tracks as far as could see lead outwards which was very odd. Looking at the footprints that were there I noticed some unusual features. The first pair of tracks that appeared to go further then the other had a shoe thread design I have not seen before. It was nothing like the boots I have or any shoe I own. They looked like jogging shoes but they were pretty athletic looking (something I personally do not understand). The shoe prints were very futuristic like if I do say so myself. The other pair of prints trailing the first pair had similar shoe thread designs on them as well but there was on thing missing. Who or what made these tracks had an anomaly. I quickly narrowed these footprints to be of a human (2 to be exact). The second person was missing a shoe. They were running with only one shoe on. I looked around to see if I could find that shoe but after an hour of searching, I found nothing. Whoever left these tracks and made those sounds just disappeared into thin air.

 _ **January 28th**_

So, to sum this up in one way, I heard strange noises and screaming/arguing, found footprints that started and lead to nowhere with shoe prints that are of nothing we have right now and basically what appears to be two people who vanished without a trace. I thought about alerting the local police department about this incident as the voices and feet sizes are from a child and someone could have lost a child nearby the area and I may have found evidence that could lead to finding them. However, I quickly gave up on trying to do that for two reasons. First like I mentioned the tracks lead to nowhere and who ever they were are just gone. And secondly, I checked Gravity Falls news and radio for a while after this to see if this was a missing child case but nothing came up and if it was a missing child it defiantly would be on GF news as they have not had any proper news story in years. What do I personally think that was, I can't say for certain. During my college days, I had read a book on time travel and how people claim to have travelled in time and went through portal like things to rewrite history. While I quickly returned that book labelling it as complete nonsense, it may have not been all wrong. Is it possible what I heard and saw was a possible pair of time travellers? Its unlikely but not impossible, and if there's one thing I have learned so far is that in Gravity Falls, even the impossible can be possible. Either that or I have become sleep deprived again, I think ill brew another cup of coffee now.


End file.
